Kuwait Responds to Teacher Crisis with Hefty Pay Incentive
- Publish date: Tuesday، 13 May 2025 Reading time: 1 min read
Kuwaiti and GCC teachers will get financial incentives for covering understaffed subjects like physics and math in public schools
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Kuwait has announced a new financial incentive for Kuwaiti and GCC teachers taking on subjects that are currently facing a shortage in local schools. The move, approved by the Civil Service Commission, is aimed at addressing long-standing gaps in the country’s teaching workforce.
The bonus applies to educators working with the Ministry of Education during the 2023–2024 academic year and teaching subjects where Kuwaiti and Gulf nationals make up less than 30% of current staff.
Priority Subjects Facing Teacher Shortage
Among the most understaffed areas are high school-level French, mathematics, and physics, where the percentage of Kuwaiti teachers is significantly low — 18% for French, 5% for math, and just over 11% for physics. Shortages are also reported in science subjects at both primary and middle school levels.
Annual Review to Keep Program Updated
The Ministry of Education will review subject shortages each year in coordination with the Civil Service Commission to keep the incentive program aligned with current needs.
Goal: Attract More Local Talent to the Classroom
The initiative is part of a wider effort to attract more national and GCC talent to the education sector, especially in disciplines that are difficult to staff. By offering bonuses, the government hopes to make these positions more appealing and improve the quality and continuity of education in public schools.